1108 IBIS MELANOCEPHALA. 



at once, and keeping well out of range as it careers round and round the tank. When it gets on the wing at 

 first it flies with very rapid strokes, making a whizzing noise ; but when well up in the air it settles down at a 

 steady pace into a straight-on-end flight. 



Nidifi 'cation. — Several pairs of these Ibises were frequenting the breeding-place already noticed at Uduwila 

 tank nearTissa Maha Rama; but their nests were on trees growing in the water, and inaccessible, and conse- 

 quently I was unable to procure their eggs or young. The time of my visit was the 25th of March ; and as 

 most birds then had young, I conclude the same was the case with the present species, so that the time of 

 commencing to breed in that part of the island would be about the end of January. In the North-western 

 Province it commences earlier. Mr. Parker writes me, concerning a large breeding-colony which he visited in 

 December 1878, that this species had young on the 31st of that month. I append the following extract of 

 his account of his visit to the colony : — " Having received intimation that some men had discovered a breeding- 

 place of the Waders of the district (one of those places crowded with nests and birds, of which one so often 

 reads an account), I determined on visiting it. It was only half a mile away and we were soon there. It 

 was at the high side of the Nikaweratiya tank, and a great mass of thorny trees effectually concealed it. We 

 crawled under these for some distance, and then began to enter the water of the tank. As this slowly became 

 deeper we emerged into an open space of three or four acres interspersed with a few partly-submerged bushes 

 and trees. On all these were crowds of birds ; White Ibises by dozens were close to us on the right, and 

 many White Storks (? Tantalus leucocephalus) on the left, while Lesser Cormorants and Lesser Egrets seemed 

 to occupy all the remaining space in the trees. Under one of these was a large crocodile on the look-out for 

 any stray youngsters that might be unwary enough to fall into the water. Overhead circled a fine White- 

 tailed Eagle, a few Kites, and, far above all, two Darters, looking like gnats in the clear blue. Then what a 

 rawing and squawking and screaming there was when we were seen ! Birds seemed mixed up in hopeless 

 confusion ; but eventually most of them settled down on trees near at hand. In about ten trees or bushes, 

 most of them not more than 1 5 or 20 feet high, were crowds of nests — unshapely masses of sticks, on many 

 of which might be seen young birds sitting or walking about. In the trees on our right, frequented by the 

 [bises, the nests were laid along some of the branches so closely that the young simply stepped from one nest 

 into the next at pleasure, and the whole seemed to be common property. On one branch the centres of the 

 nests (mere slight depressions in the beds of sticks) could not have been more than 18 inches apart. It was 

 far from an easy matter to catch the young Ibises. They climbed about almost like Parrots, hooking their 

 bills onto branches, or even taking hold with them, and thus drawing themselves up, whilst their little black 

 legs kicked about in the air as they wriggled their necks further over, and presented a most ridiculous 

 appearance. 



" Without exception the nests of these birds contained three eggs or three young ones, and I presume 

 these are the invariable number. The ages in different nests varied from fresh eggs to the almost full-grown 

 young ; and I should consider that the breeding lasts from the middle of November until the middle of 

 February." Two eggs sent me by Mr. Parker are dull white and somewhat rough in texture ; in shape they 

 are elongated ovals, slightly broader at one end than the other, and measure 2*7 by 1'7 and 2 - 15 by l - 6 inches 

 respectively. The majority of specimens, writes Mr. Hume, are free from spots; but some are delicately 

 marked with reddish brown; and of this sort Layard procured specimens in Ceylon, as he describes the eggs 

 as chalky white, sparingly blotched here and there with dry blood-coloured marks, thickest at the obtuse end. 

 Indian eggs vary from 21 to 2 - 82 inches in length, and from l - 5 to 1'82 in breadth [Hume). 



